So much of the Caribbean has been overdeveloped that unspoilt islands are rare. St Kitts is one of those exceptions – but how long can it preserve its character, asks OLIVIA KELLY
THE WORDS “unspoilt” and “paradise” get thrown around like so much confetti at a wedding when it comes to the Caribbean. For most places such claims are at best out of date, at worst wholly inaccurate. For St Kitts they are at least still partially true.
Mass tourism has yet to hit this little island. Until quite recently its economy was based solely on sugar. At one time three-quarters of St Kitts was covered in sugar cane, production of which finally came to a halt only in 2005, after it had become economically unviable.
The island is now putting all its eggs in the tourism basket. As a holiday destination it certainly has great potential. St Kitts is wild and windswept on its Atlantic side but calm and tranquil on its Caribbean side. It has rainforests, mountains, a dormant volcano, coral reefs and giant sea turtles. Pretty much any type of fruit and vegetable you can think of, and some you might not have heard of, can grow here. There is such an abundance of coconuts and mangos that they fall from the trees unpicked. You can drink water straight from the tap, and there are no snakes.
Most of the island’s 38,000 people live on the Caribbean side, around Basseterre, the capital of St Kitts and neighbouring Nevis, and, although the coast is dotted with villages, a ridge of mountains means the centre is unpopulated, and many parts of St Kitts look as if they’ve never seen a tourist.
So far just one US hotel chain has moved in, constructing an imposing building, on a stretch of beachfront, that seems to contravene a previous rule that nothing should be higher than a palm tree. (And although St Kitts does not allow private beaches, this one is hard to get to without entering the hotel.)
Far more development is in the offing. Christophe Harbour, a holiday complex planned by the US company behind Doonbeg Golf Club, in Co Clare, would see 1,000 hectares of the island’s southern peninsula privately developed into about 1,400 villas, hotels, a megayacht marina and a golf course (for which a mountain is currently being “reshaped”).
The development would take in more than 20km of shore and some of the nicest beaches on St Kitts. These will still have public access, as required by law, but there will also be an information booth where people will be alerted to the fact they are entering the development.
At the moment, most of the island’s hotels are small and independently owned (although those owners are invariably foreigners, not locals) and, beyond pools and gardens, their facilities rely on what nature can provide. That’s not to say they’re cheap. No matter their standard, they all appear expensive by European standards. A stay in a basic two- or three-star will cost well in excess of €100 per night if booked independently, and restored plantation houses, though beautiful, can easily cost €300-€400. Far better prices seem to be available through flight and package providers.
Prices in general are jaw dropping. An ordinary meal for two can cost $120 (almost €90). Wine is expensive and, unless you’re in a fairly upmarket restaurant, dreadful. It’s better to stick to the local lager, Carib, which is brewed on the island.
With the abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables, not to mention fish, the food on St Kitts should be wonderful. Unfortunately, it’s often poorly executed. The love of sugar lives on, and there’s a regrettable tendency to douse savoury dishes, even fish, in sickly sauces. The best food tends to come from the cheapest places, such as beach-shack restaurants where food is simply prepared. You won’t find beach-shack prices, but you will be able to get a main course for less than $20 (€15).
It would be churlish to say service is poor. It’s just very, very slow. So as long as you’re not starving, or don’t have somewhere you have to be – which, after all, would go against the ethos of a Caribbean holiday – it’s fine.
Excursions are also expensive. A two-hour trip on a tourist train that, using an old sugar-plantation line, takes in most of the beautiful Atlantic coast, is a lovely experience but costs upwards of $90 (€65) per person.
The best parts of St Kitts are all those that might be considered underdeveloped. Its nicest beaches, including the idyllic Cockleshell Bay, which has white sand instead of the black volcanic sand of most of the Atlantic beaches, have no hotels and are a drive from anywhere you’re likely to be staying.
There’s also a Unesco World Heritage site in Brimstone Hill Fortress, whose simple museum provides a decent history of the island and the squabbles of the British and French over it. It also has some of the best views on the island – and, with an $8 (€6) entrance fee, is probably St Kitts’ most fairly priced attraction.
Some might argue that St Kitts needs more tourism infrastructure, and that the introduction of high-end hotels and resorts will eventually justify the island’s high prices. The developers promise to work sensitively, avoiding the overdevelopment of other Caribbean islands. But if you’d rather see this green and relatively unspoilt island as it is, you probably have about four years left to do so. Just don’t forget your wallet.
Olivia Kelly was a guest of St Kitts Tourism Authority
Go there
British Airways (ba.com) flies to St Kitts from London Gatwick. Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) flies to Gatwick from Dublin, Cork and Knock; Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies from Dublin, Cork and Shannon.
Where to stay, where to eat and where to go
Where to stay
Royal St Kitts Hotel. Frigate Bay, 00-1-869-4658651, royalstkittshotel.com. Five minutes’ walk from the Atlantic and 15 from the Caribbean, this recently refurbished hotel has rooms in chalet-style two-storey buildings across the complex, which gives it a slight holiday-camp feel, but they’re all spacious, bright and clean. Some bathrooms could do with a bit of updating.
Ottley’s Plantation Inn. Ottley’s, 00-1-869-4657234, ottleys.com. A luxurious, secluded option that honeymooners might appreciate. Has some of the most beautiful grounds and views of any hotel on the island. It’s not near a beach, however.
Frigate Bay Resort. Frigate Bay, 00-1-869-4658935, frigatebay.com. Smaller, more family-orientated and far more modestly priced than Ottley’s. The pool may not be as exciting as children might want (it’s a standard rectangle), but the beach is only minutes away.
Hotels’ online rates can be expensive; compare them with package operators’ prices.
Where to eat
Spice Mill. Cockleshell Beach, 00-1-869-4696455, spicemillrestaurant.com. Set on one of the most beautiful beaches in St Kitts, this understated low-rise wooden restaurant offers some of the nicest food on the island at reasonable prices. The local mahimahi fish is excellent here.
Mr X’s Shiggidy Shack. Frigate Bay, 00-1-869-7623983, mrxshiggidyshack.com. Despite the gimmicky name, this place is a winner. It has probably the cheapest lobster on the island, at $29 (€21), and all its (very fresh) fish is grilled on a large barbecue. The “shack” is part of a line of about six beach bars that constitute the apex of the island’s nightlife.
Ballahoo Restaurant. Circus, Basseterre. 00-1-869-4654197, ballahoo.com. Away from the beaches, this restaurant has great views of the centre of Basseterre. A good choice for lunch, to sample traditional Caribbean food, such as garlic conch. Unexpected dishes such as beef-and-Guinness stew also appear on the menu.
Where to go
Sky Safaris. Wingfield Estate, 00-1-869-4664259, skysafaristkitts.com. Hurtle down a mountain at up to 80km/h on a zip wire through a rainforest. It is as terrifying as it sounds when you’re at the top, but once you get going it’s great fun and gives you some great views.
Nevis. St Kitts’s much smaller sister island, with which it forms a federation, is less than four kilometres away by ferry from Basseterre and Major’s Bay. It’s worth a day trip for its beautiful palm beaches.
Brimstone Hill Fortress. Middle Island, 00-1-869- 4652609, brimstonehillfortress. org. Get your dose of history with great views thrown in at this Unesco World Heritage site. Constructed between the 1690s and 1790s, this well-preserved former home to French and British troops has a small but interesting museum.